smoothoperaytor

Sure. We heard back from the Warsaw Embassy in 1-2 days. It was supposed to take 3-5. We picked up her passport (with the visa stamp) at the pickup location. It took about an hour to drive to due to traffic. Next, we flew to France since that was the best location for us to fly to the US from. The flight was long (11 hours) because we flew to Los Angeles. Arrival was smooth and the wait at passport control took about 30 minutes. He congratulated us and asked us if we had any questions. He explained what our next steps were. The actual conversation was 2-3 minutes. Now, we're in California and heading to Nevada soon. My wife's social security card arrived in the mail about a week after arrival. We've been meeting family and friends while seeing as much as we can. Our plans are to go and visit Russia in a few months. The next steps for us are to remove the conditional requirements of her green card (CR1), open up a bank account / credit card, and see if we can get clients for my wife's business here in the US. Having our first child would also be wonderful.

Thank you. Everything appears okay. There wasn't a definite "yes", but there wasn't a refusal or a request for more info. My wife also received a green paper that has information about immigration. It's in Russian. There were a few dozen people waiting by the Embassy in the morning. Mostly older in age. A mask is required for going in and this wasn't something we considered. While my wife was waiting outside, I ran to find a store that sold masks — but didn't have any luck. But my luck was found again when I entered a cafe and asked to buy a mask. They didn't have one for sale, but gave me one for free instead. I then ran back, in the 0-1 degree C temperature, to give my wife the mask in time. I think there were a few other people doing these quick runs, but I noticed they continued down other streets in search of a market. Our route was Moscow -> Istanbul -> Barcelona -> Berlin -> Warsaw. All were done via flights except Berlin to Warsaw, which was by a 6-hour train. I spoke with someone else whose mother got a Schengen visa for Italy. They met there and flew to Warsaw. No passport was checked once they were in the Schengen zone. I knew this was the case, but I took the train to be as safe as possible. We're enjoying Poland the most out of all the European countries we've been to this trip. Spain and Germany were underwhelming; expensive and the service was lacking. Maybe they're more enjoyable during the summer. Anyway, now we wait.

Interview less than 12 hours away. Checked every document as much as possible. We've been together almost every day since we met 3 years ago and have hundreds if not thousands of photos together. It's now a matter of making sure we've not forgotten anything. Getting to Poland was an adventure, for sure. No matter what happens, we'll continue to enjoy our time here and in other countries in Europe until my wife's Schengen visa expires at the end of December.

Medical exam done. They wanted the original copy of my wife's immunization records. This means you can't have someone scan and email it. Fortunately we found this out just in time and had my wife's mother get the records and send them via courier. It took 4 business days and they arrived the same day as the exam. My wife waited for me in the hospital while I waited for the courier. Once I had them, and brought them to her, the rest of the exam went smoothly. She did need three additional vaccinations which were around 1100 RUB each. About getting a COVID19 vaccine, they were unable to provide the one she would need for the US. I don't know if this excludes her from having it be a requirement. The doctor in Moscow asked if she needed it for Poland (the answer is no) and recommended she get it elsewhere just in case.

I don't think Sputnik (the Russian vaccine) is accepted. If the exam is done in Russia, there's an option that basically says "vaccine unavailable" and that should be okay. If the exam is done in Poland, then they'll provide the vaccine that's approved for America. I'm not 100% sure on this, so don't take my word for it. I guess we'll find out more information tomorrow when my wife has her exam.

Yeah, we hope so too. We're going to dedicate this weekend to going over our documents and making sure everything is in order. The hospital told us there used to be 5 doctors. Now there are 2 and only one is available for visa documentation. I guess it's not a priority at this time. You need the proof of the interview to get the exam, but they don't check if you have the proof until you show up. So, I guess you could try to schedule an interview and hope that you have it before you actually go to the hospital. About testing, it's about getting as much done as possible on your own.

No idea. First time hearing about what you mentioned.

My wife got her Schengen Visa to Spain. They said 10-15 business days, but it took about 5. We can now leave early. The visa is for 30 days. Medical wasn't easy. They're booked for the next 3 months. But we found out that by calling multiple times a day, you can get lucky and take a spot from someone who cancels. It took us 3 days of calling to do just that. We also found out you can save money by doing the required test at another clinic instead of the official clinic in Moscow. This will also save time. Be sure to have all of your immunization records as well. They prefer the original copy instead of an email printout. If you don't have them, you probably have to get whatever vaccines are needed again.

That's the first time I've heard of a case being successfully transferred from Poland to another country. We've already started the difficult process of going to Poland, so it's too late to do something else. But had we known this was possible, it would have saved time and money.

Interesting. There's already a price difference between Moscow and Poland — $275 vs. $80. But it's better to get the exam here where we are than to go all the way to Poland and take the risk of scheduling at the last minute.

I see. We'll find out tomorrow. According to one of the documents from the clinic:

It may be possible. Although I think my wife would prefer not to get more shots. Titers? What's that?

Anyone know if the "copy of your immunization records" is obtainable online? It's one thing we overlooked and are already in Moscow. Hoping we don't have to make a trip back to my wife's city to get this document. It's one of the listed requirements here https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MOS-Moscow.html#Med_exam_instructions.

I have never used that site, but I came across these sites when I was researching the process. I haven't used either, so I can't comment on their effectiveness. They're free and look legit. https://www.atlys.com/tools/flight-itinerary https://www.atlys.com/tools/hotel-itinerary

Please keep us updated. I was told Hungary wasn't an option, but I don't know if that's actually true or the agency I contacted didn't work with the Hungarian embassy. I regret not checking more agencies. Also, what was the price if you were quoted one? Ours was 40,000 RUB for Spain. Full service. We provide the docs and they do the rest. We needed a letter from work and that was an extra 3,000.

I spoke with a doctor in Poland and they said they wouldn't schedule an appointment until my wife was in the country. I suppose I could have said she was in Poland, but I was only getting info when I first contact them. They told me results would take 1-2 days.

It should be enough time if you start immediately. We ended up going with Spain. We were told Hungary wasn't a good option. I'm not sure if it's because of the agency we decided to use. I'm curious to know what you find out. Also because it's my wife's first Schengen, we will likely only get a single-entry for 15 days. About the medical, the only company in Moscow is booked until the end of Dec. We hope to get help via a walk-in. I would try to get it asap as the results are good for 6 months (I think).

Maybe. The plan is to try our luck with a walk in. We'll be in Moscow next week. If that doesn't work, I contacted the Warsaw doctor and they won't schedule unless my wife is in the country. Results are expected to take 1-2 days, so if we don't have luck in Moscow we'll head to Warsaw as soon as possible.

I doubt it. The US Embassy in Poland told me they don't deal with immigration or border issues.

Another update. I was wondering if I could get some clarifying information about how Russians can enter Poland. I contacted the Polish Border and Customs. Their reply was not helpful. They said: Basically, that it's not possible as far as they're concerned. The subtle detail of them purposely not capitalizing the country of Russia tells me they're not interested in helping.

So about the medical exam, the office listed for Russia told us they're fully booked and they got a surge of calls recently. The earliest time to schedule a date is the end of December. I'm in communication with the doctor in Warsaw, but contact stopped when I mentioned the country where my wife is from (Russia). Hopefully it's just a standard delay in messaging. I recall reading on this forum that walk-ins at the Moscow location are possible. It just takes time and patience. We can go and wait all day if needed. That may end up being our only option. As for the Schengen, it's looking like Hungary isn't the best option and Germany is the ideal choice for someone who hasn't had a Schengen visa before.

Yes, I ended up figuring this out. The instructions weren't clear about picking a location since the link it sends you to in the instructions is incorrect.

Will do. Going through the process now. Looking for an agency in Moscow that can help with the Schengen. Hungary doesn't seem to be as popular as Italy, Germany, or France.

Thanks. That seems like the thing to do.

December 7. Pickup would be preferable since we'll stay in Warsaw until the process is finished and assuming all goes well, we plan to leave directly to the US after. But as I go through the checklist, one of the items is a receipt of proof of delivery. Maybe this is not needed. But for the sake of clarity, I was thinking of choosing an address in Warsaw. But then this step says you'll get info for picking up the visa, so maybe the delivery isn't needed unless you plan to have it delivered.